Sports News

There’s a new game in town and it’s wicket fun; it’s croquet!

The Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club has just opened in Hartfield with eight laser-leveled courts. Croquet is a game of skill and strategy that is challenging for players of all ages. Above, players warm up the courts in preparation for the open house on Sunday, May 21.

Nestled between the Rap-pahannock and Piankatank rivers in Hartfield on Route 3 (Twiggs Ferry Road) you will find an amazing thing—2 acres of flat carpet-like grass and a bunch of people hitting blue, red, black and yellow balls through hoops. This is the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club (CBCC) and club members play American 6-Wicket Croquet.

Founded in 2016, the club built eight new laser-leveled courts making it one of the largest dedicated croquet facilities in the country, second only to the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. The folks at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club are serious about having fun. According to club president Macey White, “Many people played a little croquet as children, but croquet is really an adult game. Few kids ever grasp the strategy and tactics or develop the skills needed to play croquet well.”

Modern croquet is like a mixture of golf, chess and pool. The lawns are dead flat and smooth like a putting green. Mallets are substantial and robust, unlike the light equipment found in backyard sets. The wickets or hoops are made from 5/8-inch thick steel and are only about 1/8 of an inch wider than the croquet balls. It takes skill to score wickets, but most importantly it takes a good grasp of strategy and a little engineering to understand how to score more than one wicket in a turn and keep your opponent from scoring more wickets than you do.

Croquet is a great low-impact exercise for both the body and mind. The United States Croquet Association governs the sport and sets handicaps for players. The best players in the country range from people in their late 20s to players in their 70s. Croquet is truly a sport for all ages.

The Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club has players of all skill levels. For those interested in trying croquet, the club will host an open house on Sunday, May 21. Doors open at 1 p.m. and people are invited to come when they can. The courts will be open for play from 1-6 p.m. At 6 p.m. there will be a cookout and all are invited to attend. If you are interested in coming on May 21, please email the club at .

“CBCC has all of the equipment you will need and all you need to do is show up. Coaches at the club will set you up with equipment and enough instruction to get started and most people are successful at playing a competitive game of doubles with a more experienced partner the first time out,” said White.